How to Make an Online Shopping App Like Amazon

In recent years, the trend toward online shopping has increased at an astonishing rate. The market is moving upward and is expected to cross 6.3 trillion USD in 2024. In fact, mobile devices accounted for 72.9% of e-commerce sales in 2021, and this figure has only increased.

So, if you are interested in developing an online shopping app like Amazon, now is the right time. You can reach out to an e-commerce app development company in India to dive into the world of online retail. But you don’t have to be a tech wizard to develop an app like Amazon.

In this blog, we will discuss everything you need to know to make a powerful app like Amazon:

Happy reading!

Must-Have Features in an Online Shopping App Like Amazon

To build a successful online shopping app like Amazon, you need to focus on providing a seamless and user-friendly experience. Here are some premium features that you must include in your online shopping app:

1. Easy Registration Process

Include a simple registration and login feature in your online shopping app for higher app installation. Make sure your app only requests necessary information so users don’t get frustrated in between and discard the registration process.

2. Social Media Integration

Integrate a social media login feature for a seamless registration. It will also help you with smooth user interactions, enhance brand visibility, and boost your app's reach.

3. Reviews and Ratings

Integrate a robust review system into your online shopping app to allow customers to leave reviews and ratings for products on your platform. Customer feedback builds credibility and helps potential customers make informed purchasing decisions.

4. Order History

Include an order history feature so customers can access their previously ordered items at any time from anywhere. It's an excellent way to enhance the user experience and encourage customers to order their favorite products.

5. Push Notifications

Integrate push notifications into your online shopping app to send personalized offers, discounts, and updates to customers as per their purchasing behavior. This way, you can also boost customer engagement and sales.

6. Payment Method

Remember to offer multiple payment options, like credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and payment gateways, to users. You must also implement robust security measures to protect user information and offer them a safe shopping experience.

7. Personalized Recommendations

[Also Read - E-commerce Personalization: How to Tailor the Shopping Experience for Every Customer]

8. Advanced Search Functionality

Consider integrating a powerful search feature with sorting options, predictive text, and filters so users can quickly find what they are looking for. By enhancing the search function, you can also improve user satisfaction and drive conversions.

9. Seamless Checkout Process

With a seamless checkout process, you can encourage more users to make purchases. To do this, you can minimize the checkout steps and provide them with clear information on shipping & delivery times. It's an excellent way to reduce cart abandonment rates and improve overall user satisfaction.

10. Loyalty Programs and Rewards

Don’t forget to implement loyalty programs, discounts, and rewards programs to make users your loyal customers. By regularly offering personalized incentives, point-based systems, and exclusive deals, you can increase customer retention.

Steps to Build an Online Shopping App Like Amazon

To develop the best online shopping app, you must hire a reliable mobile app development company and follow these essential steps:

1. Competitor Analysis

Before getting started with the app development, you must conduct a thorough competitor analysis. Study the popular e-commerce platforms to know what makes them the best. This analysis will help you understand the elements that can attract customers.

2. UI and UX Design

Your online shopping app needs to have an appealing user experience and user interface. Work with UI/UX professionals to create an engaging and user-friendly app that encourages users to explore and shop. In addition, design an attractive logo and ensure that your app design aligns with it.

3. Advanced Technology Integration

You need to stay updated with the latest technologies so you can include them in your app. In addition, gain a thorough understanding of the technology stack, including frontend & backend technologies, programming languages, databases, and frameworks. You can ensure that your app performs well by making the right technology choice.

[Also Read - AR and VR in E-Commerce Apps: Enhancing the Online Shopping Experience]

4. Testing and Launch

After your app is developed, thoroughly test it on real devices to find potential bugs and issues. Engage with QA and testing professionals to correctly address your concerns. You can consider launching your app on popular app stores like the Apple App Store or Google Play.

5. App Optimization for Search Engines

You must perform app store optimization (ASO) so your target users can quickly find the app. Here’s how you can effectively optimize your app:

6. Preview and Publish the App

Before making your app live for users, make sure it meets your expectations. Experts recommend using device emulators to test the appearance & performance of your app and fix last-minute issues.

7. Maintaining and Updating

After publishing your app, you must regularly maintain and update it for long-term success. You can monitor user feedback and app usage data to update the app with new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. By staying updated with current industry standards, you can ensure that your app stays competitive.

What’s more?

To enhance the functionality of your app, you can consider integrating it with third-party services:

Cost of Developing an Amazon-Clone App

The cost of online shopping app development can vary between $40,000 and $300,000. This figure can vary depending on several factors, like UI/UX design, time required to develop the app, location of the development agency, app features, and more.

Depending on your app’s complexity and the total number of development hours, you can estimate the cost by using this formula:

The total development time includes everything from wireframe and design to app maintenance and quality. Here’s an overview of the app’s price as per its different complexity levels and time frames.

Factors Affecting Online Shopping App Development Costs

Several factors, from the wireframe, team size, and app platform to the tech stack, impact the cost of online shopping app development. Let’s check each factor in detail:

1. Wireframe

App wireframing is the process of creating a rough mobile app template to give an idea of how the app will look. The wireframe estimates come somewhere between $800 and $1000.

2. UI/UX Design

When creating an online shopping app, the adaptability and versatility of the design ultimately determine how widely the app will be used. If the design element is intricate and crucial, the cost to design a mobile app would be between $7,000 and $20,000.

3. Development

This is the step where real magic happens! Everything, from your app idea to your design, is coded into a functional mobile app. The online shopping app development cost depends on multiple factors: the number of resources working on the project, functionalities, marketplace app development, development time, and more.

After considering all these points, the cost of developing an app like Amazon can be around $30,000 to $100,000.

4. Team Size

Another element influencing the total cost of developing a marketplace app is the size of the team. You can reduce the app development cost by hiring freelancers rather than a full-fledged development team. Remember that while the latter option increases the cost, its professionalism and expertise come in handy.

A standard team to develop an online shopping app like Amazon includes backend developers, designers, iOS/Android developers, quality analysts, and project managers.

5. App Platform

Your total app development budget depends on your choice of app platform. While there is not much price difference between Android and iOS apps, it's best to start with one platform. You can switch to cross-platform apps once the app gains traction in the marketplace.

6. App Maintenance

App maintenance can significantly increase your overall app development budget. If you want to keep your app competitive, monitor its maintenance budget. It includes everything from developing new features and working with new technologies to implementing app upgrades.

7. Tech Stack

Did you know that the app's tech stack greatly impacts the total cost of developing an online shopping mobile app? That’s because the chances of an app becoming popular depend on the robust and modern technology implemented in it. A strong tech stack makes an app more scalable and faster.

Tech-stack to develop an Amazon-like mobile app:

8. Location of the Development Company

The location of the app development company you choose also influences the total cost of app development. The hourly rates of an app development company vary across different parts of the world. For instance, the total development amount charged by a company in the US or UK will be more than the amount charged by companies in Asia or Africa.

Best Practices to Develop an Amazon-Clone App

Besides availing of the best ecommerce app development services, you need to look out for these emerging trends to make your app future-ready:

Why Choose Protonshub to Develop an Amazon Clone App?

We hope you have gained a thorough understanding of how to develop an online shopping app like Amazon and the costs associated with its development. Now is the right time for you to start building your online shopping app, like Amazon.

In case, you need any assistance, you can reach out to our mobile app development partners. Our dedicated team takes pride in providing the best app development service from scratch. Our professionals will guide you throughout the process and help you get started!

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Tushar Pal

"President and Co-Founder"

Tushar Pal is a captivating wordsmith who weaves intricate narratives and thought-provoking tales. With a passion for exploring the depths of human emotion and the complexities of the human experience, he effortlessly guides readers through richly textured worlds that linger in the mind long after the final page is turned.